A Spirited Dirty Dozen ...

[WDW1974]

If you're willing to go off property check out Shake Shack on I-Drive (or Winter Park location of you don't like all the tourists). Probably the best burger joint in existence.

Back to Disney, I don't think 9.99 is too terrible of a price for a burger. You're more than likely getting what you pay for - an upscale burger. If they were the same burgers they're serving in the parks, I'd totally understand. I'm happy they're offering a new selection.

Shake Shack is overrated based on one visit to their SoBe unit. Good, but not overly special ...

 

[WDW1974]

Disneyland's 45th Anniversary kickoff in February, 2000 also introduced Steve Davison's very first attempt at fireworks; Believe There's Magic In The Stars. That show suddenly reinvented fireworks at a Disney theme park, and immediately made the old Fantasy In The Sky staple on both coasts seem boring and lame. There was no looking back after that 45th show in Anaheim.



Correct. Disneyland Drive is the main north/south thoroughfare leading to 13,000+ parking spaces and the three Disneyland Resort hotels. And it can barely handle the load at busy times of the year.

Disneyland Drive on a Friday evening. Honk if you like Wookies!

Reducing a few of its lanes to gain 20 or 30 feet for Star Wars Land that sits beyond it is not a design option.

And finally, I might as well place this here. It's a 90 minute long walk-thru video of Shanghai Disneyland, or at least the half they are now letting people visit while the rest remains off limits. From 20 feet away it all looks great. But then look up close and you see flowerbeds in Fantasyland that are just mud and dirt (3:35), unwired firxtures and exposed ceiling light fixtures in the Castle walk-thru that haven't had fixtures installed or sheetrock finished (1:20:30), construction walls in front of unfinished steel in Tomorrowland (1:11:00), lots of incomplete landscaping, etc., etc. And is it just me or does that Fantasyland canal boat ride kind of suck? Compared to StorybookLand Canal Boats or Small World it's flat and charmless and rather pointless. (39:50) So if this is the areas of the park and rides they are letting folks into, what does the rest of it look like 30 days from opening?



On a positive note, that Pirates ride looks absolutely fantastic! Wow!

And the little Chinese boy that Dad follows around through this entire video is adorable. He's more polite and more courteous than 90% of the 21st Century Special Snowflakes we have to put up with now in America, and he even rivals the perfectly polite Japanese children I see in Tokyo Disneyland. Way to go Chinese Dad! Perhaps the future generation will break the stereotype that adult Chinese tourists have today.

I don't know how I forgot about Believe. That's when I first believed Steve Davison was a genius (and before I also realized he had no clue about theme park ops whatsoever!) ... That show is still one of the best I have seen. Sweet but not too schmaltzy ... it was a great one (unlike Wishes).

I have it on very good authority that Disney hit a grand slam on Pirates as hoped ... and sorta hit a weak double to right on the Tron coaster.

As to the video, I have heard all about it. But can't watch it.

 

[WDW1974]

No, that doesn't count. You have to either stay there and experience the "uniqueness" of the place or visit at least two of the state's iconic offerings. Example, you can't just drive through a state, you must visit two famous landmarks or tourist spots. Or, stay overnight and visit one famous spot and eat local cuisine as we did in the tiny state of Rhode Island or while traveling along the gulf coast through multiple states in a day.

Why would anyone visit Rhode Island?
(Haven't been there since I was about 9 ... so about 20 years ago!)

 

[ThemeParkJunkee]

"sheepishly enters conversation"....I did take your thread a little off topic by talking about my US road trips. My only motive was to let people know there really is "a great big beautiful tomorrow". So sorry.

 

[WDW1974]

Hubby lived in CA and In and Out Burger was his son't favorite place. After one particular visit, they both decreed that In and Out was exactly what it did to thier respective digestive systems so...no, when we visit the west coast, we don't even go there.

I think In-N-Out is terrific ... for what it is. A well-run, quality, fairly priced fast food burger joint. ... Do I think that it's rep has become greater than the product? Sure. That's no different than many things. I have never had bad food at one of their units. And, no, I don't want them to expand to FL or elsewhere ... when chains expand they tend to forget what got them where they are.

 

[ProfSavage]

"sheepishly enters conversation"....I did take your thread a little off topic by talking about my US road trips. My only motive was to let people know there really is "a great big beautiful tomorrow". So sorry.

He's the one who derailed the thread!

 

[WDW1974]

I really wish spirited threads would EVER stay on topic. (No fault to @WDW1974 who tries to wade through the pages upon pages and respond to the handful of on topic posts)

At any rate, do you have any insight into the rumors that the Avatar Boat Ride will share the same/similar ride tech to that of SDL's version of Jack Sparrow of the Caribbean?

Also, I wonder if @whylightbulb could chime in on that new Kong AA across the street. Will it be properly lubricated?

Thanks. I had hoped to get more observations from my recent visit on here, but things just take off and some people have no self control. So .. now we are talking about burgers ... and some people are on FB for reasons that escape me.

I believe there are some tech similarities for the Pandoran cruise, but I would have to ask as I just don't recall.

As for the giant monkey and his lube needs ... ask @Lee!

 

[WDW1974]

And, while we're on the subject of Spirited Quality Walkthroughs, since you recently spent time in both WDW and UNI, what letter grade would you give each park in terms of upkeep/quality (and not on attractions, merch, or rascal parking capacity)

Don't want to not answer this, but I honestly don't feel like I spent enough time in any individual park, except possibly MK (as usual) to fairly evaluate. And MK would get maybe a C if I am being generous (Pirates improvement off-set by Mansion show issues and Tomorrowland in its usual ghetto self), also saw too much trash. ... Other parks were all popped into for 3-5 hours a shot and I just don't think that's enough to give a legit grade. DAK, EPCOT and UNI looked the best, though.

 

[WDW1974]

[EDIT - Removed his name]
Senior Manager - Project Development & Integration at Disney Parks & Resorts

OK, so he works for Disney ... can you PM me his name?

 

[WDW1974]

Mmm our clamcakes, and chowder, and hot wieners, and saugys, and coffee milk, and Del's, and Stanleyburgers, and Narragansett (Hi, neighbor!) beer, and calamari with hot pepper rings... ahhhh....

Sounds like a strange place ... likely populated by very strange Spirits.

 

[WDW1974]

is that 35% discount normal? or are they just desperate to regain their APers crowd?

It is the new normal ... where you constantly raise prices while discounting.

 

[PhotoDave219]

It is the new normal ... where you constantly raise prices while discounting.

Isn't that Illegal?

 

[PhotoDave219]

OK, so he works for Disney ... can you PM me his name?

It was Joe..... And I forgot the last name. Some senior guy.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Why would anyone visit Rhode Island?
(Haven't been there since I was about 9 ... so about 20 years ago!)

15 minutes on I-95 between the New York suburbs (Connecticut) and the Boston suburbs (The rest of Mass)

 

[Longhairbear]

Gotta admit that all the things I hate about social media are on display for the first Disney park opening of the real social media age (there really wasn't much for HKDL in 2005 ... and newsgroup/discussion board only stuff for DCA, TDS and WDSP).

I am sure it is great for all the fanbois in the USA who will never visit, but I do feel that anytime I look at anything that it might spoil something for me. There are hours and hours of complete ride-thrus and parade showings and shows etc. I don't want to see any of that.

On WDW matters, another summer in which we will hear breathless reports of lines and crowds and ... APers now have a 35% offer for WDW resorts for June and July.

They need to fill the resort rooms. I don't know why I hadn't figured out that Wilderness was converting almost half of it's rooms to DVC. And Wilderness is my home resort! Granted I haven't been there in 6 + years, but I didn't know that DVC was taking over that much of the hotel.

 

[Cesar R M]

Isn't that Illegal?

Dunno about the USA, but that is definitively the norm here.
Every "black friday" equivalent.. is carp.
They raise the prices 2 weeks before, so they can show a discount, the savings are minimal.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I think In-N-Out is terrific ... for what it is. A well-run, quality, fairly priced fast food burger joint. ... Do I think that it's rep has become greater than the product? Sure. That's no different than many things. I have never had bad food at one of their units. And, no, I don't want them to expand to FL or elsewhere ... when chains expand they tend to forget what got them where they are.

I'm glad you had something positive to say. Your last few posts have you turning into a curmudgeon. This place is overrated. This place is good but it costs too much. I remember when you could get a Hershey bar for a nickel! A nickel!

 

[matt9112]

From the Not Getting it Department:

WDW keeps showing me banner ads offering me rooms at the A-SS for $96 a night plus tax as a FL resident.

UNI keeps showing me banner ads offering me suites at Cabana Bay for $119 a night plus tax and rooms at the new Sapphire Falls Resort for $159 plus tax.

At some point, there will be no rooms left Disney can turn to timeshare and TDO will have to wake up to the fact that O-Town isn't a market that can sustain hotels that charge $400-1,000 a night for standard rooms.

Also, took a drive out to The Dead Zone Known as Flamingo Crossings to see the lovely twin Marriott suite properties. Almost no cars there whatsoever. Feels like it is 65 miles away from WDW. Oh, and if you haven't heard Disney can't lease the land as hoped so they want to rezone to build cheap homes and apartments. Yup, Walt's Dream of having enough land for ...

That's a shame I loved how quiet it was at flamingo crossings and 89 a night? Yes please.

 

[jme]

It was Joe..... And I forgot the last name. Some senior guy.

The name was PM'd - It wasn't hard to dig up just googling against his social media. He's been with Disney P&R for 35 years (mostly DLR, recently HK and now SDL)
I just thought it felt a little invasive to plaster his name on a message board for no real reason beyond curiosity

 

[xdan0920]

Thanks. I had hoped to get more observations from my recent visit on here, but things just take off and some people have no self control. So .. now we are talking about burgers ... and some people are on FB for reasons that escape me.

Taken off is right. The amount of bloat in your threads has gotten completely crazy. I may not agree with a lot of what you post, but you do bring up many good talking points. Which then get lost in the nonsense of a handful of posters who, while seemingly agreeing with your general point of view, completely hijack the thread. It's almost like they have a compulsion to see their names on every page of the thread. Meanwhile, most of those posts bring nothing to the table. Makes it an impossible task to keep up with any news or worthwhile discussions happening here.

edit to add...

Look at the posts that followed this one. Nonsense of the highest degree. Pictures of bug sculptures and water towers, along with some sort of Buffalo Chipolte post. Nonsense.